Peter Thao had quite the journey to winning the $300,000 Guarantee Spring 2026 Poker Palooza Festival $1,100 Main Event at Peppermill Reno.
That included being one of the last cars to clear the I-80 East Pass over Donner Summit into Reno from California before chain control was implemented before a phantom late spring storm in the Sierras to even make in time for the complimentary breakfast provided for the players. Donner Pass is not historically a place where good stories end, but in this instance it’s where one good poker story began.
He was solid in chips when play began, but dropped low a few times and always fought back. That included quite the comeback during heads-up play that saw him claim the top prize worth $70,000 and the Peppermill Poker Palooza trophy.
He has more than half a million in career earnings, but this cash was special since it was his first Main Event win. We caught up with Peter shortly after the victory, and here is what he had to say about one heck of a day.
On his adventurous path to Reno:
I skidded on the highway too, and luckily made it in time. Rushed to grab the breakfast, rushed to get into here and I was barely getting my jacket off when play began pretty much.
On having six big blinds with three tables left and running it up to 1.5 million:
Yep. A couple key spots where I stole a few big blinds helped bring me back up to to 10 bigs, and then they moved me tables. Exact first hand I get it in with nines against A-7 and held. It doubled me up to 20 bigs and I never looked back after that.
On the final table match with another comeback:
The only hand that was questionable was when I got it in with K-3 against [Andrew Fredericks] pocket queens. That was for eight bigs so lets just gamble. I spiked two Kings amazingly; and and from there I won the next flip, and the one after that. I never l looked back, and that’s all she wrote.
On keeping his composure with a short stack:
I think the biggest thing for me is to stay very present, and that’s something I’ve worked on with my coach to not make the moment bigger than it is – or smaller than it is. Whatever I’m feeling, too feel it. To be there and feel as opposed to trying to compartmentalize it and box it in. Poker used to be a very stoic game based on the solver-era, and now I just want to be … If I’m happy, I’m happy … If I’m angry I’m angry … If I’m laughing I’m laughing. It’s authentic, it’s honest, riding the emotions and not trying to hold anything back, and that’s exactly what I did.
On how his coaching helps with that approach:
For me I have a mental game coach Jason Su, he’s an amazing coach. He has helped me to really be with my emotions as opposed to being in my head, The biggest things for me is I’m usually in my head and I’m trying to analytically think through things because it’s a very analytical game. But the emotional side of it we tend to discount that or ignore it completely so that’s a big part of the game as well. It’s important to be with everything, not just the poker side of it. We’re humans, we have emotions and we’re going to feel things.
On winning his first Main Event title:
It’s big because I’ve never won a Main Event, and I’ve come very close. So this was something that I’ve always wanted to do and here we are. This is something accomplished, and this is the first but it’s not going to be the last. I’m just always here for the ride. I’m always willing to win, and I want to win. Simple as that.
On playing poker tournaments at Peppermill Reno:
The staff here is great, the players here are great, everybody is welcoming. It’s one of the most fun environments. There is a community and different games that they play here. If you play at the the other events like a WSOP Circuit or a WPT they don’t have the Crazy Pineapple or they don’t throw in a lot of the mixed stuff. I want to learn how to play a lot of the mixed, I haven’t played enough of the mixed but some of the other stuff I have played and it’s really fun.
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